The Homestead and Florida City communities gathered recently for a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of construction of the new Homestead Hospital. Baptist Health South Florida is building the 300,000-square-foot hospital on 60 acres located on the north side of Campbell Drive. It will broaden the healthcare services for the growing population of south Miami-Dade County and replace the existing Homestead Hospital that opened in 1940.
“This is the first new hospital to be built in Miami-Dade County in more than 30 years,” said Bo Boulenger, CEO of Homestead Hospital. “In addition to making history, the new hospital will provide patients with the latest technology available. A comfortable and healing environment will also provide a positive experience for patients and their families.”
More than 200 people gathered at the construction site of the new Homestead Hospital for a groundbreaking ceremony. With shovels in hand, kicking off the celebration were (left to right) Wendell Beard, Homestead Hospital Board of Directors; City of Homestead Mayor Roscoe Warren; Rev. William Chambers III, chairman of Homestead Hospital Board of Directors; Bo Boulenger, CEO of Homestead Hospital; Brian Keeley, president and CEO of Baptist Health; George E. Cadman III, chairman of the Baptist Health Board of Trustees; and Dr. Rudy Gossman, chief of the medical staff at Homestead Hospital. Construction of the new hospital is expected to be complete in late 2006. (Photo by Mabel Rodriguez, Baptist Health)
Brian Keeley, president and CEO of Baptist Health, emphasized Baptist Healths commitment to the Homestead community. The Rev. William L. Chambers III, chairman of the Homestead Hospital Board of Directors, gave a blessing, and City of Homestead Mayor Roscoe Warren spoke about the benefits of the new hospital to the growing community. George E. Cadman III, chairman of the Baptist Health Board of Trustees, said building a new hospital in Homestead is part of fulfilling the organizations not-for-profit mission. Dr. Rudy Gossman, chief of Homestead Hospitals medical staff, commented on how the new hospital will help improve patient care.
The new hospital will be three times larger than the current one. The $130 million project includes a five-story main building with a three-story glass atrium at the entrance and an adjacent medical office building. It will feature all private patient rooms, an Emergency Center triple the size of the existing one, additional operating rooms and more clinical space for outpatient diagnostic services and minimally invasive surgery. Construction is expected to be complete in late 2006.
The exterior design of the new Homestead Hospital will be Spanish Mediterranean, similar to the architecture of Baptist Hospital of Miami. The interior design blends traditional elements with contemporary finishes, such as glass curtain wall detailing. A 1,300-space parking lot, lakes and a helipad also are included in the site plan.
HKS Architects Inc., one of the top 10 architectural and engineering firms in the United States that has built more than 80 replacement hospitals, created the structural engineering and exterior and interior design of the new hospital. Skanska USA Building Inc., the nations second-largest hospital builder, is the general contractor. Both companies are working on the new hospital from their regional offices in Orlando.
“The new Homestead Hospital is a testament to Baptist Healths commitment to south Miami-Dade,” said Keeley. “Built with superior technology and staffed by top-notch healthcare professionals, the new hospital will ensure that patients continue to receive top-quality medical care.”
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